They didn't assume that Clark was killed in Afghanistan but missing in action I believe is what Perry said to Lois.

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That excuse is flimsy at best. Where did Perry get that assumption? If Clark never was there to begin with, who would report him missing? If no one did, and Perry is just assuming that is where Clark is, wouldn't he want to give a quick call to wherever Clark claimed he was going to be at (at which point, the place would say "Clark who?" or "He never arrived.")

Oh I agree that it's flimsy...I'm sure that the Planet would have some kind of overseas branch office or a liason of somekind with the international jounalists that he would be able to check in with. I can't recall what was actually said, I'll have to rewatch it again. I assume that Clark was supposed to contact the Planet with periodic updates and since he hadn't for a period of time Perry must have realized something happened.

I wonder if that means the "World Against Superman" storyline will finally reach a close by the time Batman comes back. I don't mind the arc, but it seems to have dragged on forever and, of course, being a weekly thing if you miss a title you have to play catch up (as I'm doing with Blackest Night).

Actually when I first heard Batman was coming back, aside from the "of course he is" response (no one expected him to be gone forever) I thought maybe they were going to really shake things up and zombify him with a black ring. Now THAT would have given people something to think about!

I just hope when Batman is reestablished they don't end up punting Batwoman and the Question from Detective Comics. I kind of like the direction they're taking with that one (even if it sometimes reads like L Word with a cape). It's not everyone's cup of tea (including mine at times), but it has given the title a bit of added vitality that I wouldn't have expected in something that's now heading into its 73rd year!

I wonder if that means the "World Against Superman" storyline will finally reach a close by the time Batman comes back. I don't mind the arc, but it seems to have dragged on forever and, of course, being a weekly thing if you miss a title you have to play catch up (as I'm doing with Blackest Night).

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Not to be pedantic, but you mean "by the time Bruce Wayne comes back," not "by the time Batman comes back." Bruce Wayne is not synonymous with Batman any more, and Morrison has said that R.I.P. was the end of Bruce Wayne as Batman.

As for the timing of storylines, War of the Supermen begins with May's FCBD special, and if you assume a similar progression to Blackest Night, then we will probably see that storyline winding down at roughly the same time as The Return of Bruce Wayne concludes and then dovetails into Batman and Robin. Morrison's interview in USA Today indicates that Dick will be Batman for at least two years.

For myself, I hope that Dick is a permanent replacement for Bruce under the cape and cowl. DC has walked away from its modern age legacy characters in the past decade. Making Dick Batman, and making it permanent, can go a long way to reversing the trend of the recent past, where Hal Jordan, Oliver Queen, and Barry Allen can come back and replace their replacements.

Actually when I first heard Batman was coming back, aside from the "of course he is" response (no one expected him to be gone forever) I thought maybe they were going to really shake things up and zombify him with a black ring. Now THAT would have given people something to think about!

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I'm sure Morrison has something mental up his sleeve.

I just hope when Batman is reestablished they don't end up punting Batwoman and the Question from Detective Comics. I kind of like the direction they're taking with that one (even if it sometimes reads like L Word with a cape). It's not everyone's cup of tea (including mine at times), but it has given the title a bit of added vitality that I wouldn't have expected in something that's now heading into its 73rd year!

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'Tec has been fucking awesome.

I'm sorry that J.H. Williams is leaving the title after the next issue, because he's done absolutely superlative work. Each issue is a tour du force visually.

DC has announced The Return of Bruce Wayne mini starting in April...written by Grant Morrison alongside 'a host of all star artists' Morrison calls this the 'definitive Batman epic'. Wow there really have been a ton of announcements this week, and we're not done yet. Here's the link with sample art:

Since I was little (in the mid-90s), I've been puzzled by the strange desire so many writers seem to have to drastically alter status quos. If you find the existing situation boring, but liked it when you started reading, you've been reading for too long and should stop for awhile. Batman should star Bruce Wayne, Batman, and Superman should feature Clark Kent, Superman. There's plenty of room to tell exciting, interesting stories that don't alter the status quo.

DC has announced The Return of Bruce Wayne mini starting in April...written by Grant Morrison alongside 'a host of all star artists' Morrison calls this the 'definitive Batman epic'. Wow there really have been a ton of announcements this week, and we're not done yet. Here's the link with sample art:

Since I was little (in the mid-90s), I've been puzzled by the strange desire so many writers seem to have to drastically alter status quos. If you find the existing situation boring, but liked it when you started reading, you've been reading for too long and should stop for awhile. Batman should star Bruce Wayne, Batman, and Superman should feature Clark Kent, Superman. There's plenty of room to tell exciting, interesting stories that don't alter the status quo.

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Who's changing the status quo? All of those stories are temporary and the status quo will be restored at the end. We know it, the writers know it. There has never been any attempts to suggest that Bruce Wayne would not be back.

Since I was little (in the mid-90s), I've been puzzled by the strange desire so many writers seem to have to drastically alter status quos. If you find the existing situation boring, but liked it when you started reading, you've been reading for too long and should stop for awhile. Batman should star Bruce Wayne, Batman, and Superman should feature Clark Kent, Superman. There's plenty of room to tell exciting, interesting stories that don't alter the status quo.

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Who's changing the status quo? All of those stories are temporary and the status quo will be restored at the end. We know it, the writers know it. There has never been any attempts to suggest that Bruce Wayne would not be back.

There's already 70 years worth of those stories out there. Why not try something different?

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And, frankly, there's no reason why stories of Bruce Wayne as Batman couldn't continue to be told. Besides the fact that DC will have four or five different ongoing Batman continuities shortly -- "regular" DCU, First Wave, Earth-One, All-Star (when/if that ever returns), and Batman: The Brave and the Bold (based on the current animated series) -- they also have Batman Confidential, which like Legends of the Dark Knight, tells stories that stand alone. (Plus, there's Superman/Batman, which is off in its own little world now.) Having Dick under the cape and cowl doesn't preclude stories of Bruce under the cape and cowl, any more than Star Trek: The Next Generation prevented stories from being told about the crew of the original Enterprise.

I'm sorry to bump this thread, but the idea of whether or not Supes was actually "dead" has been on my mind and I just now got a chance to crack open my TPB of the Return of Superman.

Here is what is explained in Superman #82:

Superman: But I wasn't dead! I was just in some kind of coma or something! Right?Eradicator: Thoughts such as those may comfort you, but you must understand, you were categorically deceased, Kal-El. Superman: Assuming you're right--Eradicator: There is no mistake in what I have said. Doomsday killed you.

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This exchange says, to me, that Superman was dead as a doornail after his bout with Doomsday. On the next page, they go over his resurrection:

Superman: You mean, if not for you, I'd still be dead?Eradicator: Indeed. The death of the last Kryptonian awakened me...your termination actually compelled me to visit your body. My powers and the technology at your fortress were able to do the impossible. Superman: You mean you can restore life?Eradicator: Not quite. Though the conditions were ideal and your kryptonian body in Earth's enviroment was uniquely suited to the recuperative process, you had nearly extinguished your massive store of solar energies in your battle with Doomsday. Only by getting to you quickly -- and administrating the healing baths of the matrix chamber -- could I help. Another day, another set of circumstances...and your resurrection might not have been possible.

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This suggests to me that Superman was able to come back with a combination of the Eradicator's abilities, the matrix chamber, and good timing.

Again, I must make mention that I do not know if this has since been retconed.

Yawn.
When I cam back to comics 5 years ago, after a 20 year hiatus, Green Lantern had turned bad and was dead, Green Arrow was dead, Barry Allen was dead. I knew these guys would not only be back but would return to their proper roles. The Silver Age remains where it's at. There's a reason all the superhero movies -and comics- keep retelling the stories from that era. They're our collective cultural mythology. The classics remain classics because we like them.
Bruce Wayne is back? This is news? Really?

It is difficult to assess if Superman's death was retconned or not...the documentary that was included in Superman/Doomsday seems to imply that it was later on in an attempt to explain his resurrection. DC wanted Superman dead, dead. They also needed a way to bring him back when the time was right. I have always believed no matter what anyone says that Clark died and was at some point later brought back to life.

Yawn.
When I cam back to comics 5 years ago, after a 20 year hiatus, Green Lantern had turned bad and was dead, Green Arrow was dead, Barry Allen was dead. I knew these guys would not only be back but would return to their proper roles. The Silver Age remains where it's at. There's a reason all the superhero movies -and comics- keep retelling the stories from that era. They're our collective cultural mythology. The classics remain classics because we like them.
Bruce Wayne is back? This is news? Really?

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Really? The Nolan Batman films seem to be anything but Silver Age.

The Marvel Silver Age was pretty good due to them introducing a whole slew of characters, but the DC Silver Age sucked. I'm sorry, but I look back on those stories and I just can't get over how over-the-top goofy they were, especially in regards to Batman and Superman. I don't care if they bring back characters or what not. But if they veer into the storytelling practices of the Silver Age, oy!